deer

“Anybody can die, evidently.”
-“ABC”, Robert Pinsky, United States Poet Laureate

“Necrophilia is more erotic than that [censored!].”
-SWfan, Flayrah commenter

The ABCs of Death is the brainchild of producer Ant Timpson (an end credit suggests the whole thing was inspired by a nightmare of his): take 26 horror directors from around the world and give them a letter of the alphabet. They then pick a word with that letter, and direct a short film for $5,000 that depicts a death involving that word.

Pretty simple, and a great concept for a horror anthology, but why the review on a furry site? Well, there’s Thomas Malling’s “H is for Hydro-Electric Diffusion,” which is basically a live action Tex Avery cartoon. And there are plenty of animal-related shorts available, as well; some of the best shorts on the roster, including “D is for Dogfight,” “N is for Nuptials,” “P is for Pressure” and “Q is for Quack,” involve animals, if not always anthropomorphic.

We’ve been following this one since we first caught wind of it in Animation magazine, and somehow it snuck by us… and right onto DVD at your local WalMart, no less. Cinderella: Once Upon A Time In The West (known as Cinderella 3D in Europe) is a new CGI feature from France, directed by Pascal Herold. The story is much as you’ve ever heard it before: Cinderella (a pretty pronghorn who can handle her own in a fight) lives with her cruel stepmother and ugly stepsisters (all of them big old hounds)… this time, in a town in the Old West. A handsome prince (also a canine, but much more… handsome) comes into town and… well you know the rest. Or do you? Did we mention the sand pirate monkeys who fly on vultures? Yes, it’s that kind of film! It’s produced by Delacave Studio, and you can check it out at their web site. Oh, the DVD is in English, by the way.

It's not easy to admit feelings for a long-time friend; but for the classmates in Mitti's debut graphic novel, their first admission must be to themselves.

It is 1955 and best friends Clover and Logainne are looking forward to graduating from Lincoln High School and getting on with their lives. However when Clover fumbles for an excuse to avoid going to the senior prom with someone, she blurts out Logainne's name as her intended date. Now the whole school thinks there is more to their friendship than meets the eye, putting both their reputations and Logainne's honors student status at risk. As they scramble to contain the damage, at least one of them begins to wonder where her heart truly lies. (back cover)

According to Sweden's edition of The Local, the elk was grazing on fermenting apples that had fallen off the tree, and became a bit drunk; a common phenomenon. What happened next is anything but: the elk decided to eat the apples located higher up in the tree, and began to climb it. The majestic, antlered creature became entangled within the tree's limbs, and required assistance from rescuers to get back onto terra firma.

In a statement posted on the site, Susan Rankin - the mind behind the comic - called it an "amazing run" and thanked her readers for making her feel "truly blessed".

The second Doemain book - Shift Happens - was released this month too, to accompany the previous self-titled volume of Doemail strips.

Rankin is planning future projects, however they are yet to be disclosed.

A Doemain of Our Own isn't the only one however, Ozy & Millie is another long-running strip popular amongst fandom members that will be soon coming to an end. The strip is already well into it's finale and is due to end in the next few weeks.

Welcome to the first of what I personally hope will become a series of comic reviews. When I say "comic", I mean comic and webcomic strips, not comedians. After all, there is only really one comedian in the furry fandom that I am aware of and I have already made clear my dislike of this particular ranting moron in previous issues of The Furtean Times.

The first strip I am reviewing is A Doemain of Our Own. Last year, the first collection of strips printed in "dead tree format" entitled simply A Doemain of Our Own: Volume 1, consisting of strips between 1999 and July 2002 won the Ursa Major Award for "Best Anthropomorphic Other Literary Work", beating other respected webcomics such as Ozy and Millie and Gene Catlow. The second collection of strips titled Shift Happens, with strips between August 2002 and mid-November 2005, will no doubt be one of the favourites for the award this year as well.

The "Deer Lady", as she has come to be known, was imprisoned for eight days for breaking a California law which prohibits the feeding of wildlife. Thana Minion is believed to be the only person ever jailed in the state for the crime, which is a misdemeanor.
She previously served a 45 day sentence in 2000 for violation of the same law.

According to the New York Times (free registration may be required), deer populations have exploded so much that they're throwing the ecosystem out of whack, eating gardens and peoples' shrubbery, and creating hazards in the roads.

Well, it's warmed over Watership down for sure. Actually, I was a little disappointed in this one. The author never could seem to decide which way he wanted to go: at one moment its an allegory for historical battles and the unification of Scotland, and the next its a much more traditional sentient animal story.